Hogan Lovells represents Souza-Baranowski prisoners in class action lawsuit

U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman has certified a class of approximately 150 people subjected to uses of force at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, who seek damages for excessive force under the Eighth Amendment. Judge Guzman also certified a subclass of all Black and Latinx individuals within the class, based on claims that they were targeted because of their race and in violation of their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Boston in 2022 on behalf of nine individuals who allege that they were subjected to retaliatory and racially motivated violence, after an altercation on January 10, 2020 left several officers injured. The lawsuit alleges that DOC officers used excessive and unjustified force, such as beatings, pepper spray, weapons shooting chemical agents and impact projectiles, dog bites, and forcing people into stress positions. The lawsuit further alleges that high-ranking DOC officials condoned this violence.

Judge Guzman summarized the allegations, noting that DOC allegedly "targeted Black and Latinx prisoners for especially brutal and degrading treatment, such as yanking and ripping out dreadlocks and braids and shouting racist comments and slurs."

The certification of the class action lawsuit allows plaintiffs to seek changes to DOC policies through the court and potentially secure financial compensation for the affected inmates.

"Class certification is a crucial step toward accountability for the violence inflicted on incarcerated people at Souza-Baranowski," said Boston associate Kayla Ghantous in a statement.

The Hogan Lovells team is led by partners Greg Noonan and Anthony Fuller, senior associates Alex Bailey and Courtney Caruso, associates Kayla Ghantous (all Boston) and Fleming Farrell (Washington, D.C.), and paralegal Melissa Cieszkowski (Boston).